Hotel Colorado
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Hotel Colorado | |
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| (U.S. National Historic Landmark) | |
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| Location: | 526 Pine Street Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 |
| Coordinates: | Coordinates: |
| Built/Founded: | 1893 |
| Architect: | Boring, Tilton and Mellon |
| Architectural style(s): | Italianate |
| Added to NRHP: | 1977-05-26 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 77000376 |
Hotel Colorado is an 1893 Italianate structure in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, USA, and one of the oldest hotels in Colorado.
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[edit] History
Established by silver magnate and banker Walter Devereux, construction of this replica of the Villa de Medici began in 1891 at a cost of $350,000. Local materials used include cream-colored Roman brick and Peach Blow Sandstone; imported items included 12,000 yards of carpet and 2,000 rose bushes. The Hotel Colorado opened on June 10, 1893 to a program including a fireworks display, an orchestra in the ballroom, and dining at midnight for the 300 couples in attendance.[1]
The hotel quickly became a popular summer retreat, earning the nickname of "the little White House of the West" after extended visits by Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft. The teddy bear is alleged to have been invented during President Roosevelt's 1905 visit when the hotel's maids presented him with a stuffed bear pieced together with scraps of fine material.
On September 16, 1925, live music and speech was broadcast by way of telephone from the hotel's ballroom to Denver radio station KOA.[2]
In 1942, the hotel was leased to the United States Navy for use as a hospital. The U.S. Naval Convalescent Hospital was commissioned on July 5, 1943 and served over 6,500 patients by the end of 1945. The hospital was decommissioned in 1946.
The National Trust's Historic Hotels of America added the Hotel Colorado to its list in April 2007.[3]
[edit] Famous visitors
Actor Tom Mix, his wife and several production crew members stayed at the Hotel Colorado during the filming of The Great K & A Train Robbery in summer 1926.
In addition to the visits by Presidents Roosevelt and Taft, former President Herbert Hoover addressed a luncheon at the hotel on August 2, 1939.
[edit] Ghosts
Several ghosts are believed to reside there, notably a young young girl in Victorian clothing seen playing with a ball, a female that peers over sleeping male guests, and a male presence on the fifth floor. The two suites in the bell towers are frequently reported to be haunted. The elevator moving on its own without passengers, strange smells and sounds have also been reported by guests and staff. In September 2006, CCPI Paranormal Investigations visited the hotel and recorded two areas of higher electromagnetic energy, one in the corridor in front of room 325 and the other outside room 551.[4]
[edit] Additional reading
- Fleming, Kathy Rippy [1995]. Apparition Manor : True Ghost Stories of the Hotel Colorado. New Castle, CO: Twin Aspen. OCLC 51564297.
- Koelling, Janet [2001]. Hotel Colorado: Fountains of Enchantment. Glenwood Springs, CO.: Hotel Colorado Nonprofit Museum Corp. ISBN 0967359406. OCLC 50327186.
[edit] References
- ^ Soncarty, Willa (2002-04-26). "Glamour came to Glenwood with Hotel Colorado opening". Glenwood Springs Post Independent.
- ^ Soncarty, Willa (2007-02-27). "Glenwood's early radio days". Glenwood Springs Post Independent.
- ^ National Trust Historic Hotels of America Announces Six New Members. Press release. April 9, 2007.
- ^ "Haunted Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs". Legends of America.
[edit] External links
- Hotel Colorado official website
- Unofficial blog with photos, reviews and video
